A race fan who reached into the road to try to get a sign she made on TV, caused a major pileup at the Tour de France, leaving a tangle of bikes and riders.
The message on the sign was a greeting to the woman's grandparents. Tony Martin of Germany had nowhere to go, but into the sign and other riders then fell. One injured competitor withdrew from the race. The crash took place Saturday during the first stage, which started in Brest, France. Officials in France have opened an investigation and the race resumed Saturday and continued Sunday. The Tour said that it filed a complaint against the spectator, but that the fan had fled. Officials said the fan so far cannot be traced. A journalist appealed against launching a "potentially life-ruining campaign against the foolish young" fan, noting that crashes have been caused by race employees, a dog, and a drunk."